Singhvi said the manner in which the Enforcement Directorate pursued the matter over several years exposes serious questions about the misuse of investigative agencies. He pointed out that between 2021 and 2025, the ED conducted prolonged interrogations of top Congress leaders, questioning Rahul Gandhi for nearly 50 hours, party president Mallikarjun Kharge for six hours, and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for about seven hours. According to him, these extensive questioning sessions were accompanied by sweeping financial actions, including bank account attachments, freezing of funds, and even disruptions to routine transactions such as rent payments.
Recounting the origins of the case, Singhvi said the controversy dates back to 2014, when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a private complaint. Despite this, no First Information Report was registered for nearly seven years. He emphasized that during this period, both the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate had, in written communication, acknowledged that the matter did not disclose any predicate offence — a prerequisite for action under money laundering laws.
Singhvi questioned the sudden turn of events in June 2021, when a case was registered despite what he described as a clear institutional consensus earlier that no offence was made out. He argued that this abrupt shift raises serious doubts about procedural fairness and the independence of investigative bodies. Drawing attention to the latest judicial development, Singhvi noted that the court has now declined to take cognisance of the matter, a decision he said directly reinforces allegations of agency overreach and misuse.
“The refusal of the court to proceed is the clearest indication yet that the investigative process was fundamentally flawed,” Singhvi said, adding that the episode demands accountability. He asked who would take responsibility for years of scrutiny, financial restrictions and reputational damage inflicted on political leaders in the absence of a sustainable legal basis.
The remarks come at a time when the role of central investigative agencies has increasingly come under judicial and political scrutiny. Singhvi’s statements underscore broader concerns about the balance between law enforcement and political neutrality, a debate that continues to shape India’s legal and democratic discourse.
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